DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT - RESPONSE FROM GUINEA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000570

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP BTIO EAID OEXC OIIP PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL GPI GV
SUBJECT: DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT - RESPONSE FROM GUINEA

REF: SECSTATE 86401


1. Per reftel request, below are Embassy Conakry's responses
to the Department's inquiry about the Guinean Diaspora:


A: The Guinean diaspora are identifiable communities
primarily based in Senegal, France, Mali, the United States,
Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The existing diaspora
networks are most accessible in the form of political
websites, including some widely read news and blog sites
about current political affairs.


B: The connection of the diaspora community to the host
country is most evident in the form of financial support.
Although it is difficult to track foreign remittances due to
their informal nature, recorded worker remittances into
Guinea accounted for about 1.3% of GDP in 2006. Many
development specialists, however, believe that the amount is
actually more significant. Guineans abroad are often seen as
having much more expendable capital than their relatives in
country and are often solicited for financial support.

The diaspora community is very active in internal country
politics. A majority of Guinea's most widely read internet
news sites are organized/edited by Guineans abroad. A number
of political opposition parties seek their funding primarily
from the diaspora community in Senegal, France, and the
United States. In the aftermath of violent demonstrations in
2007, Guineans reportedly appealed to their families and
friends living abroad for relief support and political
funding.


C: In 1985, the GOG created the State Secretariat for
Guineans Abroad, which was incorporated into the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in 1997. On August 19, 2009, the Secretariat
was recreated by junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara. Although
the role of the State Secretariat for Guineans Abroad is
still unclear, its predecessor organizations were used
primarily for bilateral immigration advocacy issues,
including repatriation and illegal immigration concerns.


D: The diaspora community, while responsible for private
remittances, seems to have little involvement in community
development including in business, job creation, and capacity
building. A common trend among Guineans abroad is to invest
in building housing for themselves and their families in
Guinea, rather than in wide-scale community development.
Remittances are also sometimes used for the construction of
new mosques.

Having noted this trend, many of Guinea's business and civil
society leaders were educated abroad or started their careers
outside of Guinea. Though they were once part of the diaspora
community, but have since returned, their contribution is
still worth highlighting as a greater trend among the
diaspora community. With greater opportunities for education
and occupational training, individuals among the diaspora who
return are often able to take leadership positions within
their industry or field of expertise. Many of Guinea's
political and economic leaders who lived or were educated
outside of Guinea at one point are still perceived to be part
of the diaspora community, despite their current residence
in-country.


E: Due to a coup d,etat in December 2008, the USG does not
facilitate or administer programming that is not directly
related to support for democracy or humanitarian projects.

F: As detailed above, the diaspora community is highly
politically active. However, there is no information on
diaspora involvement in peace building/conflict resolution.


G: N/A


H: The GOG currently plans to hold elections in January 2010,
although the date has not been officially announced. The
diaspora community is already heavily involved in preparation
for these elections through means of political news websites
and contributions toward political campaigns, as detailed
above. In addition, the GOG is planning to register Guineans
abroad to vote in the upcoming election, which is the first
time such registration has taken place.

CONAKRY 00000570 002 OF 002




I: The former ruling regime of Lansana Conte paid scant
attention to the diaspora community at large, and they were
often seen as the biggest threat to his power. Since the coup
in January 2008, the CNDD has made several references to the
importance of the diapsora to Guinea's economic and political
success. However, many perceive the new attention paid to the
diaspora as being politically motivated. The community is
heavily involved in democracy promotion and sometimes
inspires internal pro-democracy voices. As such, the
government may see the community as a necessary means of
support for the upcoming election.


J: N/A


K: A small number of Guinean-American citizens have contacted
the Commercial Office at Post by email to inquire about
investment opportunities in Guinea. In accordance with
standard fee structures controlled by the US Commercial
Service, Post must charge a fee to clients interested in
using these services. As such, many Guinean-American
businesses choose to inquire about investment opportunities
through other channels after learning about the fee. The
Political Section of the Embassy is sometimes contacted by
members of the diaspora community to discuss democracy
promotion and political views. Some influential members of
the diaspora community are connected to internal political
parties.


L: N/A


M: In the interest of Public Affairs programming, it would be
helpful to create a database of Guineans living in the United
States, with attention paid to their area of
expertise/vocation. With such a database, the PAO, though
IIP, could contact perspective speakers to present at various
events. Since the Guinean-American diaspora community is
knowledgeable about both Guinea and the US, they could
potentially become a strong asset to PAO sponsored events.
This database could also be used for reach-back programming
to academics.



2. POC: Briana Warner, Economic Officer: warnerbm@state.gov,
224.65.10.4141
BROKENSHIRE